Smoking prevention and cessation, early detection and timely treatment and chemoprevention can make important contributions to reducing morbidity and mortality from cancer. Disseminating these strategies, especially to underserved groups, requires improved methods of cancer communication. The 38 Prevention and Control researchers at the Siteman Cancer Center include leaders in these areas, working through three established focus groups. Nicotine dependence and Smoking Cessation includes studies of nicotine dependence and its association with alcohol dependence at epidemiological , genetic, psychophysiological, behavioral and neuroanatomical levels. Current and planned research extends insights in these areas to improve prevention and cessation interventions. Early Detection includes the Program's major contribution to the NCI-funded PLCO study of early detection of prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancers, study of psychological factors in delay of diagnosis and treatment of rectal cancers, development and validation of improved lung and colorectal screening and diagnostic procedures to reduce barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment, and study of epidemiological, psychological and health education factors that enhance or discourage early detection and screening. In collaboration with the Department of Community Health of the School of Public Health at Saint Louis University, Cancer Communication and Intervention Research includes NIH, ACS and CDC-funded projects addressing epidemiological studies of smoking and cancer, community assets as they influence cancer prevention programs, communication channels and methods, involvement of peers and family members in health promotion, linkage of clinic- and peer-based intervention approaches, and research on community intervention for smoking cessation, promotion of mammography, healthy eating and physical activity among underserved, rural and urban communities. Additional focus groups under development are Psychosocial Factors in Cancer Care and Chemoprevention.